Machine fob shearing cloth



UNITED srarns armar OFFICE,

AMASA IVOOLSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT.

MACHINE FOR SHEARING CLOTH.

`Specification of Letters Patent No. 7,407, dated May 28, 1850.

chinery for Shearing Cloth from End to End, and that the lfollowingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the rsame; wherein I have set forth the nature and principles of my saidimprovements by which my invention may be distinguished from others of asimilar class, together with such parts as I claim and desire to havesecured to me byLetters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates ofdrawings represent myimprovements. In Plate l, Figure l is a plan of my machine; Fig. 2 is acentral vertical section taken in the plane of the line, A B, Fig. l.

In Pl. 2, Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the stationary rest andmovable or chainI rests, (socalled), and the appendages of the latterwhich are necessary to effect its changes or self adjustments, ashereinafter explained. Fig, 4 is a plan of the same. Fig. 5 is adetailed side view of one of the movable or chain rests. Fig. G is anelevation of on'e end of the same, and Fig. 7 is an elevation of theopposite end. Fig. 8 is a detailed plan of the top of one of said rests,and Fig. 9 is a plan of the underside of the same. `Fig. 10 is a plan ofone of the grooves in which the chain rests are set; and Fig. l1 is across section of the same taken in the plane ofthe line, C D, Fig. 10.Fig. l2 is a detailed elevation of an adjustable gage bar, hereinafterdescribed, with it-s two regulating notches or stops. Fig. 13`

is an end view of thesame, and Fig. 14 is a plan of the same. "F ig. l5is a detailed vertical section taken on the irregular line,EFGr,l?l.2,I1"ig.t.y

My improved machine belongs to that class or species of shearingmachines, which shears the cloth from end to end; and ifthe two ends bejoined,"it maybe passed through the machine any desired number of timeswithout stopping.

The machine, as represented in the drawings above referred to, combinesseveral minor improvements to which I shall not now lay claim, wishingto present it-s peculiar and novel characteristics, which is in, therest against which the shearing knives cut, independently of claims tonov-` `elty in any other department of the ma`- chine.

The rest above referred to, has hereltofore been made in one piece, andso as to be moved laterally by the hand of the op` erative whosuperintends the working of the machine, in-order to provide for theswaying of the cloth from one to the other side of the machine.

In machines in which the rest is thus arranged, it becomes necessary towind the Vcloth to be shaved, with great nicety on the lcloth-beam, andhave it closely watched as it unwinds, and the rest guided, or shiftedwith care, morder to save the requisite width of list on each side.

The objectof my improvements is, provide a movable or changeable rest oneach side of the stationary rest over against which the knives bear, ordraw, to remove, or shear' the nap; so that if the cloth, in being fedalong to the knives, should be `swayed to one side or the other of thema! chine, the rest will be extended, or short- 'ened accordingly, andthe cloth will still be :shorn close to the selvage, and yet leave therequisite width of selvage on each side. `The movable or changeablerests are arlranged one on each side of the stationary `rest hereinafterreferred to, and form with it, what may be termed a varying rest foraccommodating, or operating upon differlent widths of cloth, jtheswaying of the `ferred to, lmovable rests consist of a set or chain offvertical teethor rests which are litted to each other on each side bymeans ofa swallow tail groove and tongue, and are arranged so nicely, asto present an` almost lperfectly smooth edge to cut against when iin astraight line. These chain rests are set `each in a groove formed in thevibrating bar, `which groove has a diagonal bend in it that serves tobring the chain rests` into the same line with the stationary rest, andto carry it out of said line accordingto circumstances. `This slidingbar is connected to an cloth i hereinbefore re- `adjustable gage barwhich has two catches,

and adapting itself to" as it passes to the cutters. These notches orstops set at a little distance apart; and the upper and outer catch' orstop of this bar is adjusted at such a distance outside of the range ortransverse plane passing through the inner end of the diagonal bend inthe ,movable rest-groove before referred to, as to give, or leave therequisite `width of list; said end of said bend being vibratedlaterally, each of which feelers has an upper and lower projection whichwhen brought up, or left to drop down, bears accordingly against theupper or lower catch in the gage bar, and carries the bend in the groovebefore referred to, outward or in- Ward, and always leaves the selvagesof the same width.

In the several drawings, H H I-Irepresents the frame-work of the machinewhich may be shaped as therein shown, or in any other suitable way.

f I I, Fig. 2, pl. l is the cloth beam, so called, whose surface iscovered with list or some other similar substance and on which the clothis first wound. In front of this cloth beam are two small rollers, L L,arranged near each other, and around which the cloth is passed for thepurpose of bringing it almost entirely about said cloth beam, andstraining it around the same. .The cloth then passes up over the curvedmetallic tablet, J J, and partly round roller of small diameter, K,which deflects it at right angles from its previous course, and bringsit to bear closely and properly on the rest, a a, while the spiralknives, b, b Z), &c., operate with the -Xed or ledger blade-like shears,to cut off the fibrous pile or nap which has been brushed up by thebrush cylinder, c c, which is revolved in proper direction and atsuitable speed for the purpose. 'Ihe cloth then passes down in avertical direction roundthe rollers, d, YSnc., having its nap brusheddown again by the revolving cylinder brush, f f, and then partly aboutthe roller, g, and almost entirely about the cylinder, h, by beingbrought back round the roller, z', which is in close proximity to theroller, g, and operates with said roller, to strain the cloth aroundsaid cylinder precisely as the two rollers, L L, above referred to,operate with the cloth, as it leaves the cloth beam. The cloth thenpasses around the outer roller, 7c, and, if desired, back .again to thecloth-beam, from which it passes through the same routine a second time,as shown by the continuous yellow line in Fig. 2, pl. 1; or, it may betaken as usually arranged, in folds, first upon the clothbeam, and thenafter passing through the machine once, be redeposited in folds directlyunder the outer roller, k. The cylinder of spiral knives, b b, and theledger blade, Z, are set in a tilting frame, fm m, which has properjournals provided with suitable bearings in the main frame-work, so thatthe said knives and blade may be moved up against the rest, a a, Sac.,at pleasure. The knife cylinder is provided with a suitable guard, n n,in front; and in rear, with a trough into which the severed portion ofthe nap or pile, drops in the usual way.

I shall now proceed to the description of the changeable rests and theirappendages, and the mechanical means or combination of devices by whichthey are operated.

0 o 0 is the rest frame, as I shall term it, which is firmly secured tothe main framework, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Pl. 1, and on this restframe, the stationary rest, a a a, is fastened in the usual position.The .movable chain rests hereinabove referred to, are placed one at eachend of the stationary rest, as shown at p p, p p, Fig. 1, Pl. l andFigs. 3 and 4, Pl. 2. The movable rests are formed of a seriesofseparate rests, p p p, Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, Pl. 2, which ashereinbefore suggested, and as shown in said Figs. 5, 8 and 9, fit intoeach other on each side with what may be termed a swallow'- tail tongueand groove. Theyr are connected together bymeans of a strip of leather,

q g, y Q, one one side of each series, to which they are fastened, orstrung by means of rivets, r r r, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, Pl.2. These chain rests thus constructed, are tted into the grooves, s s s,formed between the two sliding bars t t, a u, one set of which isarranged on each side of the stationary rest, a a. The grooves, s s s,have a diagonal bend in them, as shown in Fig. 10, which, as the saidbars move in one direction or the other, bring the movable chains intoline with the stationary rest, or back of the range of said rest, as thecase may be. The bar, u u, has a continuous lip along its upper andinner edge the width of which is shown bydotted lines in Fig. 10 Pl. 2at a2 a2 rwhich lip its into a corresponding groove formed on the frontside of each chain rest which groove is shown at o v, in Fig. 5, Pl. 2,and in section in Figs. 6 and 7, Pl. 2, and this arrangement serves tokeep the movable rests in position, as will readily be understood. Theouter edge of the bar, a a, is rebated along the greater portion. of itslength as shown at b2 b2 Fig. 10 Pl. 2, and a lip, 'w w, w fw, (Figs. 4and 15 P1. 2) on the face-plate, in front of the stationary rests, fitsover this rebate, and keeps out the dirt, as the bars, t t and u u,

slide along on the ledge, y y, of the `rest frame, on which they arekept by the guides, z, a, Figs. 3 and `4:, Pl. 2. On the rear side ofeach of the sliding bars, t t, t t, is an adjustable gage bar, a a, aai, which `has slots, ZJ, b', b, &c., and confining screws, c, c', bywhich it may be fastened in any desired position on said bars, t t, &c.,as will be understood by inspection of Figs. 3 and 12, Pl. 2. On theinner ends of each of thes gage bars is a plate d cl', ci d', madeconsiderably wider than said bars, oneach of which are formed the twocatches or notches, e f', e f, shown in the detailed views, Figs. 12, 13and 14, Pl. 2, and, as before suggested, the upper and outer catches, ee, should be set a distance outside of the inner end of the bend in themovable rest groove, equal to the width of the selvage desired to beleft, said end of said bend being always in a range with the inner edgeor line of the selvage up to which the knivesvwill cut; because themovable chain rests, as far as said inner end of said bend, are in thesame line with the stationary rest. The swaying of the cloth from sideto side, is made to operate to change the position of said inner e'nd ofsaid bend in said grooves, and thereby lengthen the stationary rest oneither side, by bringing more or less of the movable rest into line withit, by the following contrivance or combination of devices.

Working with the notches on each of the gage bars, a c', a a, is aseries of toothed or burred feelers formed as I now use them verysimilar to segments of circular sawplates, as shown at g g g', &c. Theyare arranged at proper intervals apart on the short shafts, 7i', 72.',on which they turn loosely. These shafts are connected to slidr ingframes, z, which move along on the "rest-frame, 0 0 0, being properlyguided thereon by the guiding pins, 7?', 76, &c., shown in Fig. 8, Pl.2. A reciprocating rectilinear motion is imparted to these frames andfeelers by the connecting arms Z Z', Z Z, which are screwed to, andworked by a vibrating lever, m m', which is vibrated by the eccentricrod, n n', connected to the pulley, 0, Fig. 2, Pl. 1, which pulley isrevolved by a twisted band passing around it from some one of thepulleys on the revolving cylinders hereinabove referred to, in a mannerwhich need not be more particu` larly explained.

The cloth as it passes up to the rest to be sheared, draws over agreater or less number of these feelers, and turns them on their shafts,so that the outer of those so turned will connect, or engage near itstop with the upper and outer catches, c, of the gage bars, a a', a ct;and as the feeler frames, &c., move outward, said gage bars will be madeto move with them carrying also the sliding bars, t t, u u, and changingthe position of the inner end of the diagonal bends of the movable restgrooves accordingly; that is, moving said bends toward the sides of themachine, and thereby lengthening, or extending the rest, as hereinbeforesuggested. But when cloth of lesser width is used, or when it so swaysinpassing through the machine, as to permit, or leave the feeler free todrop down again, the lower angular project-ion, p', (Fig. 15, Pl. 2) ofsaid feelers, will con nect with the lower and inner catches, f f', ofsaid gage bar, and, as the feeler frames move inward, the inner end ofthe diagonal bend in the movable rest groove, will be changedaccordingly, as will be understood without further explanation. Thefeelers are so arranged, as when not acted upon by the cloth, to dropdown into the position shown in Fig. 15, Pl. 2; and when they are drawnup by the action of cloth, they are prevented from being carried so faron their shaft, as not to drop when left free so to do. A bent steelplate over which the cloth slides, fits over most of the apparatus onthe rest frame leaving however the feelers uncovered; but it is left offin Figs. 3 and 4.

'Ihe cloth is kept against the feelers by means of the heavy metallicroller fr r',

Fig. 2, Pl. 1, which moves freely up and down in its bearings, s, andhas its ends covered with bent card teeth to the extent of the length ofthe feeler frames which by pressing the cloth against the teeth of thefeelers, work them as afore described.

It is believed by me that shearing machines have never before been madewith any portion of the rest made flexible, as I have above described,or that the rest against which the knives cut, has ever before been madesusceptible of extension on each side, by combining with the usualstationary rest the flexible rests on each side of the same; and,furthermore, so faras I can discover, no extension rest has .ever beforebeen made self operating. I shall therefore confine myself to thesegeneral features in my claims, as I believe myself to be the originalinventor thereof; and shall not in summing up embrace the details ofmachinery connected with these features.

Having thus described my improved shearing machine, I shall state myclaims as follows.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to have secured to me byLetters Patent is,

1. A flexible rest constructed substantially as hereinabove described.

2. Making the rest susceptibleof extension on each or either end, bycombining with the ordinary stationary rest and on each side thereof aflexible and movable rest as hereinabove specified.

3. I claim making an extension or flexible and movable rest, selfoperating or so as this seventeenth day of January in the year to bechanged by the Cloth itselllf in its pas- 18,50.

sage through the machine, a as herein. Y

above set forth. 'AMASA WOOLSON' f5 In testimony that the foregoing is atrue Witnesses:

description .of my said invention and im- HENRY CLossoN,

provements I have hereto set my signature WARD R. DANN.

